Almonds in general are nutrient-dense and adding them to our diet will be a smart choice to stay healthy. Nuts in general are good and can be taken in any form but soaking makes them much more healthy. Some nuts especially almonds contain enzyme inhibitors which is not that friendly with out tummy when taken raw and causes indigestion. We may probably heard this a million times from our mom & elders at home to take soaked almonds in the morning, which we might have ignored many times… I did 😉 did you??? and now i face the same issue with my son, lol. Soaked almonds is one of the best brain tonics, rich in essential fats to improve memory and intelligence, a great cholesterol-lowering food, helps in fighting diabetes and heart diseases, ideal for Weight management, very heart-friendly, can prevent cancer, also offers numerous beauty benefits. Now coming to our topic, why almond flour??? Having raw or soaked almonds is ok but when it comes to including almonds in recipes… ground almonds seems much easier compared to whole. Also you can blend it with other stuff , camouflage and feed your picky eaters at home! Almond flour is an easy alternative which can not only be used in baking but also in savory kind of dishes like curries & stir-fries.

What is Almond Flour? This is made from ground sweet almonds and is usually made with blanched almonds (with no skin), the texture is slightly coarse compared to other flour.

What is Almond meal and how is it different from Almond Flour? Almond meal / ground almond is also Almond flour, there isn’t much difference, it is also from blanched almonds but texture wise much coarse and also sometimes it refers to raw ground almonds(with skin on)

Is Almond Flour / Almond Meal / Ground Almond Paste bad for you? Lately there are lot of discussions on the net referring to whether this is good or bad for you, in my opinion having anything too much is not good of you. Including more almond flour does create some stomach issues and it would wise to include them in moderation. Usually 5-6 almonds are good for daily intake and almond flour has a whole lot of them in one cup flour. Baking with almond flour once in a while is ok – having one cookie made with almond flour won’t cause much discomfort. But if you have a sensitive tummy then better stay off!

Why Homemade Almond Flour? Almond flour is very expensive and go rancid quickly if not stored properly. Stores usually sells them in big packages and if don’t find use for them, it can go to waste. By making your own will ensure freshness, can be made in small quantity and saves few bucks!

How to make Almond Flour?

Ingredients

Raw Almonds

1/2 cup

Kosher Salt

1 pinch

Water

2 & 1/2 cups (for boiling)

Buy good quality almonds preferably organic if you can afford it. Soak them overnight in enough water with some kosher salt. The next day, discard the water and rinse them a couple times and keep them ready in a bowl.

Heat enough water in a sauce pan and when it comes to a boil, switch off and pour that over the almonds. Let it sit for 3 minutes and no more than that. Immediately put them in a bowl filled with ice water to cool.

This step will stop any further cooking and also helps in removing the skin. They slide off easily. Discard the skin. Now place the blanched almonds in a clean kitchen towel and dry for at least an hour. Now you can either dehydrate using a dehydrator machine or dry them in your oven for few hours at the lowest temperature with oven door open slightly. Roughly chop – this is optional, it ensures even roasting.

I’ve used a plain frying pan and toasted them over low flame for 20 minutes stirring every now and then. After this let them cool completely. Using a food processor / mixer / blender grind the almonds. Just use the pulse setting run a few times. Too much grinding will make the almond release oil and it will turn into almond butter.

You can use this as such or transfer the content to a sieve to get more finer texture flour. Transfer to clean jar and refrigerate immediately.

How to store Almond flour? If made & stored properly it can stay good for 3 months in refrigerator. Best when stored in cool dark place weel sealed. Freezing is also an option which extends the shelf life but turns little clumsy.

How much flour does 1/2 cup whole almonds yield ? – Roughly about 3/4 cup of Almond meal or Almond flour. You can make more if you plan to finish soon.

How to include Almond Flour / Almond meal? There are quite a lot of ways to include this in your recipes…

1. Use them in baking Cakes & Cookies.

2. Sprinkle them on Salads.

3. Sprinkle some on your morning cereals.

4. Add them to your Smoothies.

5. Use in Indian Food – I usually add them in poriyals /stir fry recipes as garnish to substitute grated coconut, Add a teaspoon while grinding coconut for Korma/ Kurma preparations, grind a few teaspoons of this almond flour with water and add them to gravy to make it thick. Use them in preparing Badam Kheer / Badam Halwa / Kalakand

Make your own Almond flour or buy favorite brands at www.nuts.com 1-800 558-6887

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